Adjustable switch-rod.



, No. 650,892. Patented June 5, I900.

F. B. BRADLEY.

ADJUSTABLE SWITCH ROD.

(Applicaition filed Mar. 1, 1900.;

(No llodel.)

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F. B. BRADLEY. ADJUSTABLE swncu non.

(Application in 1, l

admin 900 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. BRADLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE SWITCH-ROD.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,892 dated June 5,1900.

A plication file d March 1, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. BRADLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at No. 3819 Prairie avenue, Chicago, in the'county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAdj ustable Switch-Rods, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inrailway-switches; and its primary object is to provide a simple, strong,and easily-operated adjusting device for connecting the switch-rails andthe switchrod, so that the switch-rails may always be maintained andheld securely in their proper position and easily adjusted as occasionrequires.

Another important object of this invention is to provide connectingdevices between a switch-rod and a switch-rail which can be adjusted asrequired to a very fine degree, so that the position of the switch-railsmay be regulated and maintained with the greatest possible accuracy andsecurity; and a further object of the invention is to provide aconnection between a switch-rod and a switchrail of great strength andwhose adjustable features are of such a character that they will not beinjuriously affected by exposure to the elements, but always remain in acondition which will permit of the proper adjustment of the rails.

With these and other endsin view the invention consistsin the peculiarconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, andcomprising, essentially, a rectangular block or plate having acorresponding seat in a chair connected with the switchrail and providedwith interlocking features to secure it in its seat with 'the chair anda bolt passing through said block and connectin g the same with theswitch-rod, all of which will be fully described and claimed herein:

after.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates my'invention, showinga longitudinal sectional view of a switch-rod, lockingblock, and chairconnected'with a switch rail. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the chair, thetop of the block being 'partlybroken away to show the interlockingfeatures. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig.

Serial No. 6,907. (No model.)

1. Fig. 4. is a sectional view showingablock provided with a concentricbolt-opening. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the chair, showing thelocking-block in place and having its top partly broken. away to showthe interlocking features. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of thelocking-block illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 and inverted. Fig. 7 is aplan view of the chair, showing the locking-block and its flange, bothprovided with interlocking features corresponding to those surroundingthe recess in the chair and along its flanges, this view being partly insection. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a rectangular locking-block providedwith interlocking features on all four of its sides and having aneccentrically-located bolt-opening.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all of the figures, A designates the trackrail, Bthe switch-rail, and C the switch-rod, with which my invention isembodied. This switch generally extends under both trackrails andbetween two of the ties, and it is preferably provided with my improvedadj usting and locking devices near each end for each switch-rail,although this is not necessary. An ear or plate F is rigidly secured tothe switch-rod, and it extends longitudinally thereof to form a jaw Mbetween itself' and the rod, this jaw being arranged to receive thechair G, which is suitably fastened to the switch-rail. The chair isprovided with the upwardly-extending side flanges g and end flange g,which serve as a guide for the flange L of the locking-block K, whichblock is arranged in a socket-opening H in the chair and providedwith-suitable interlocking features. The block is rectangular in form,and it may be square, as shown in Fig. 2, or oblong, as shown in Fig. 5,and, furthermore, it may be concentrically connected with, theswitch-rod, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, or eccentrically connectedtherewith, as hsown in Figs. 2, 8, and 9, the bolt K passing through theswitch-rod, the jaw F, and opening .I in the locking-block, andconnecting the parts rigidly together.

In order to secure an adjustment for the locking-block in the socket ofthe chair and maintain the block rigidly in its adjusted re-' lation tothe chair, I provide two or all of the side edges of the block and theside walls of the socket-opening II with interlocking features,consisting, essentially, of interlocking teeth formed by serrating orcorrugating the engaging parts. These teeth P and the intermediatedepressions on the side walls of the socket correspond with the teeth Q,on the sides of the locking-block, so that the locking-block may bemoved along in the socket to any position and dropped into place and fiteasily, but yet snugly, in position. In order to increase the strengthof this locking connection, I may provide the edges of the flange L withserrations Q to engage the serrations P on the flanges g of the chair,Fig. 7, the teeth of these serrations constructed to interlock with eachother in the manner previously described, and thus adding considerableto the strength of the device, rendering it able to withstand thelongitudinal strain to which the block and chair are subjected. If theblock is square in shape, all four sides may be provided with theserrations; but if the block is oblong the two long sides thereof areserrated, as shown in Fig. 5, and it will only be necessary to providethe long side walls of the socket with serrations, as the drawings show.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the switch-railcan be adjusted with relation to the switch-rod by arranging thelocking-block in its proper position in the socket, and theinterlockingfeatures between the lockiug-block and the chair permit a certain rangeof adjustment, so that the position of the rail may always be accuratelyand positively fixed; but to secure a sufficientlywide range ofadjustment with a block concentrically connected with the switch-rod itwould be necessary to provide interlocking features between the blockand the chair of such a degree of fineness as would considerablyincrease the cost of manufacture and also result in rapid deteriorationon account of the fact that the device is exposed to the action of theelements and under considerable strain and jar whenever a train passes.For this reason and in order to secure an adjustment of the widest rangeI prefer to provide an eccentric connection between the block and theswitch-rod, which is accomplished by locking the boltopening Jeccentrically in the block, Figs. 8 and 9. The result of this eccentricconnection between the block and the switch-rod is that adjustments ofalmost an unlimited number are possible, it being simply necessary toadjust the switchblock forward or backward in the socket to itsapproximate position and then rotate the same until those edges of theblock are in engagement with the side walls of the socket, which willgive the finest adjustment and secure the switch-rail and switch-rod intheir correct positions.

By referring to Figs. 8 and 9 it will be noticed that if thelocking-block is advanced bodily the distance of one tooth it willactually move the chair a distance equal to that between the centers oftwo teeth, and this distance may be too great for the proper adjustmentof the switch-rail. Thereupon the locking-block is rotated in adirection and tea position which will reduce the actual movement of thechair to a fractional part of the distance between the centers of twoteeth, and the locking-block, having four sides, can be moved so thatthe switch-rod and switch-rail will be held securely in their exactproper relation to each other, as the adjustment of the locking-blockwith relation to the chair is reducible to very fine degrees. It will ofcourse be understood that by the same means the movementof the chair andthe switch-rail can be correspondingly increased beyond the distancebetween the centers of two teeth. My invention therefore provides anadjustable connection between a switch-rod and a switch-rail which isvery simple in character, strong, and easily manipulated to secure theproper adjustment between the rod and rail. It is also an importantfeature that the adjustment can be effected in such a fine degree and bysimply turning the locking-block in its proper position. \Vhen thelockingblock is constructed eecentrically, as just described, theadjustments to be obtained by rotating the block are so minute that itwill not be necessary to construct the interlocking features with such adegree of fineness as would be necessary to obtain the same adj ustmentswith a concentrically-arranged lockingblock, Fig. 7. As a matter of factthese interlocking features (shown in Figs. 8 and 9) may be made withcomparative coarseness, and to such extent the cost of manufacture islessened and the life of the device is increased, as the action of theelements on the comparatively-coarse interlocking features would not beso injurious as upon interlocking features of a fine finish. I may useone of these connections on the switch-rod or I may have one for each ofthe switch-rails, and to readjust the parts it is only necessary toremove the bolt K and slip the switch-rod oil of the chair, so that thelocking-block can be rearranged in the socket of the chair, after whichthe switchrod is again bolted in place.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a switch-rail and a switch-rod, of a chairrigidly secured to the switch-rail at one end and provided with asocket-opening, a rectangular block arranged in said opening andprovided with interlocking features to secure it to the chair, and abolt securing said block to the switch-rod, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a switch-rail and a switch-rod, of a chairrigidly secured to the switch-rail at one end and having its other endprovided with an oblong socket-opening, a rectangular locking-blockarranged in said socket-opening and provided with interlocking featuresto secure it to the chair, and a bolt passing through the switch-rod andthe block to connect the same together, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a switch-rail and a switch-rod, of a chairrigidly secured to the switch-rail at one end and having its other endprovided with an oblong socket-opening, a square locking-block arrangedin said opening and provided on its sides with interlocking features tosecure it to the chair, and means for connecting said block to theswitchrod, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a switch-rail and a switch-rod, of a chairrigidly secured to the switch-rail at one end and having its other endprovided with an oblong socket-opening, a locking-block arranged in saidsocketopening, and having interlocking features to secure the block tothe chair, said features con.- sisting of teeth on the sides of theblock engaging corresponding teeth on the side walls of thesocket-opening, and means for securing the block to the switch-rod,substantially as described.

5. The combination with a switch-rail and a switch-rod, of a chairrigidly secured to the switch-rail at one end and having its other endprovided with a socket-opening, side flanges on said chair,alocking-block arranged in the socket-opening and provided with a flangeextending over the opening, and interlocking features between the blockand the side walls of the opening and between the block-flange and thechair-flanges, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a switch-rail and a switch-rod, of a chairrigidly secured to the switch-rail at one end, and having its other endprovided with a socket-opening,a lockingblock arranged in said openingand capable of a bodily longitudinal adjustment therein, and a boltsecuring said locking-block to the switch-rod, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination with a switch-rail and a switch-rod, of a chairrigidly secured to the ing and capable of a longitudinal adjustmenttherein, interlocking features between the block and the chairand a bolt eccentrically connected with the block and securing the blockto the switch-rod, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a-switch-rail and a switch-rod, 01": a chairrigidly secured at one end to the switch-rail and having its other endprovided with a socket-opening, a locking block arranged in saidsocket-opening and having an eccentrically-located bolt-opening,

interlocking features between the lockingblock and the chair, and a boltsecuring the block to the switch-rod, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a switch-rail and a switch-rod, of a chairrigidly secured to the switch-rail at one end and having its other endprovided with a socket-opening a series of teeth along two walls of saidopening, a locking-block arranged in the opening and having all of itssides provided with teeth adapted to interlock with those of the chair,said socket-opening being elongated to permit of a longitudinaladjustment of the block therein, and a bolt eccentrically connected withthe block and securing the block to the switch-rod, substantially asdescribed.

FRANK B. BRADLEY. Witnesses:

O. L. WOOD, J. N. RAYMOND.

